Artwork
Untitled
Untitled is an ink painting. It dates from 1849 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 42.141.4
- Credit line
- Rogers Fund, 1942
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work is classified as a portrait depicting a woman, created in China in 1849 by an anonymous artist.
The work is classified as a portrait depicting a woman, created in China in 1849 by an anonymous artist. Rendered as a hanging scroll using ink and color on silk, the piece focuses on a single female figure. As a portrait genre work, its primary subject is the representation of this individual woman.
The sources do not provide further details regarding specific iconographic elements, symbolic attributes, or deeper allegorical meanings associated with the figure or the composition.
Technique & Style
Created in 1849 in China, this portrait of a woman is executed as a hanging scroll. The artwork utilizes traditional East Asian materials, specifically ink and color applied to a silk support. As a painting classified within the portrait genre, the piece reflects the anonymous hand of an unknown artist.
The handling of ink and pigment on the silk surface constitutes the primary medium through which the subject is depicted. The work is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is recognized as a significant example of mid-nineteenth-century Chinese portraiture on silk.
History & Provenance
The work titled Untitled is an ink and color painting on silk, produced as a hanging scroll in China in 1849. The artist remains unidentified, and no record of a commission exists. The painting depicts a woman and belongs to the portrait genre.
Its creation date is documented as 1849, with the precise inception recorded as 1849‑01‑01. Following its execution, the piece entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is presently housed and exhibited. The museum’s records list the work under its collection and location, confirming continuous ownership by the institution since acquisition.
The 1849 hanging scroll titled Untitled is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. While the specific accession or inventory number is not detailed in the available records, the institution is confirmed as the current custodian of this ink and color portrait on silk depicting a woman. The provided sources do not list any specific past exhibitions or loan history for this particular work, limiting the exhibition record to its status as part of the museum's permanent holdings.
Context
Untitled (1849) is a Chinese hanging scroll painted in ink and color on silk, classified as a portrait within the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection. The work is attributed to an anonymous painter, reflecting the tradition of unsigned court and literati portraiture in mid‑nineteenth‑century China. Its depiction of a woman aligns with genre conventions of the period, and scholars have noted its significance as an example of cross‑cultural artistic exchange documented in Western museum catalogues.
The painting’s provenance, dating to 1849 and recorded in both primary corpus entries and Wikidata, situates it at the intersection of Chinese artistic production and early modern collecting practices.
Overview
This untitled painting, rendered in ink and color on silk, presents a seated female figure. The work is formatted as a hanging scroll, a traditional East Asian presentation. Despite the passage of time, the original pigments retain a degree of their vibrancy. It offers a glimpse into portraiture styles, possibly from a specific cultural context given its stylistic elements.
Artist & collection
